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Less than a few weeks after the announcement of the drilling
results of the US company Exxon Mobil regarding Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic
Zone of Cyprus, we witnessed exponential growth in Washington's attention to our
small bedeviled island. Undoubtedly, the Cyprus government weighs the potential
advantage. Official statements churned
out speak of bright future for the Cypriot people. The Republic of Cyprus is
single handedly baptized a ‘strategic partner of the US’ whilst an unmistakable
euphoria seizes the Cypriot ministers who start to think of themselves, and by
extension of the island itself, as the main US ally in the region. Apparently,
the Cypriot leadership is rapidly moving into the ‘open embrace’ of the West. Admittedly,
a new domestic political struggle is on the rise: our leaders are vying to bestow
themselves the title of main White House protégé. No sooner said than done,
Senator Menendez calls the ‘moment great for Cyprus to form a new relationship with
US and West’ while he submits – with Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio - a 19-page bill designed to forge ‘friendly ties’
between Lefkosia and Washington, including the arms sales embargo lift. Who has
paid the prize of the 45 year old arms sales embargo on the victim - Cyprus – while
the aggressor – Turkey continued importing billions of dollars-worth of US
arms?

US foreign policy may be driven by a burning desire to
achieve global dominance. What does Cyprus stand to gain from such designs? What
if Cyprus is selected as the next victim in Washington's geopolitical games in
the Eastern Mediterranean? There are serious doubts about how beneficial this game is for the Cypriot people. What do we stand to
gain as the West assigns to our troubled island the role of the bulwark of its
ambitions in the region?

Modern history abounds of sad examples in which Washington’s
interference in foreign countries turned out a nasty affair. One of the most recent
striking example is Ukraine. For five years, President Poroshenko served with
ardent zeal the interests of the White House, dashing his own people’s hopes
for a better future. He fulfilled his personal task in full: during this period
his income increased manifold. Rampant corruption and profiteering have been
the main characteristics of his term in power. This sorry state of affairs in the ex-Soviet
country continued unpunished by his Western protectors. However, his days were
counted: the Ukrainian people casting their vote stopped him short. Poroshenko (hence
the US protégé in Ukraine) – received less than a quarter of the total votes - three
times less votes than Zelensky’s, the winner artist, in the second round of
presidential elections held last weekend.

Whether Poroshenko’s quarter of the votes corresponds
to the true level of popular support for him is still a controversial question.
The civil and religious war unleashed by the US protégé, the utterly destroyed
economy, the poverty and despair of the Ukrainian people do not come as nearly
as close to a complete list of Poroshenko's "achievements" with his pro-American
team.

It is always easier to destroy than to build and
develop what has already been achieved. Washington offers a path that seems
easier and light-hearted. It is naive to believe that Americans care about the
welfare of the Cypriot people. Taking into account the experience of Ukraine
and other countries, it is easy to guess what to expect from an imposed American
friendship. A number of actions of the Cypriot government can hardly be called
constructive in terms of their compliance with the interests of the people.
This is the only way to explain the visits of our leadership to some Western
countries at the time Cypriot people celebrate national holidays and honour the
memory of the heroes who gave their lives in the fight for independence from
the colonial yoke of the current Western partners.

Turkey and the UK, both staunch NATO members control, in
aggregate, two fifths of the island's territory. Is this undeniable fact to be
ignored? Is it the aim for which our people fought in the middle of the last century?
Are we putting a noose on our neck and meekly wait for the command of the neo-colonial
master? Oddly enough, sometimes it seems that the noose is already thrown
around the neck of some of our leaders. It is difficult to explain the rumors
about the negative decision of the Cypriot leadership for Russian warships
participation in the multinational search and
rescue exercise scheduled for the end of May in Cyprus’ waters.

The invitation to Moscow to participate was issued. The
Cypriot side with genuine satisfaction accepted the consent of the Russians to
take part. Then, all of a sudden, only a week later, Lefkosia changes her mind
offering a far-fetched pretext. Undoubtedly, such an inconsiderate decision
deals a serious blow to the integrity, competence and professionalism of our leadership.
Would it be far-fetched to infer the Cypriot government deliberately descends
to this humiliation for the sake of serving American ambitions? This sad incident
militates against the declared multi-dimensional foreign policy concept of the
Cypriot government. Probably for someone in charge in Lefkosia it is more
important to be praised by this or that Senator or the new US ambassador.

Would the common Cypriot in the street trust this
mono-dimensional West-oriented foreign policy or a more balanced
multi-dimensional one, through which neither Moscow, nor any other pole of
power, is ignored? With the lessons of recent history in their minds, we would
argue that Cypriot people undoubtedly favour a more balanced approach in our
foreign relations passing the message that we are masters of ourselves.